The use of outdoor lighting fixtures is becoming increasingly popular for illuminating buildings, gardens, pathways, and entrance ways as the nighttime play of light on the landscape and exterior structures is aesthetically pleasing. Lighting of outdoor ponds, pools, water falls, brooks, streams, and water fountains enhances the overall appeal of outdoor lighting. Additionally, such lighting provides enhanced security by reducing or eliminating dark hiding places and unobserved entry points for intruders. The most widely used outdoor lighting systems include one or more low voltage lighting fixtures that are connected to a 12 V transformer that is, in turn, connected to a standard 120 VAC line. The outdoor lighting typically is turned on and off by an automatic timer but may be turned on and off manually as desired. Each lighting fixture generally includes a housing, a lamp assembly having a halogen lamp or conventional bulb, a reflector, and a lens or window. Many configurations are known for providing a variety of different lighting effects.
Landscape lighting fixtures, most of which are mounted at or above ground level can be considered to appear somewhat incongruous with the surrounding vegetation during daylight hours, when the illumination function is not in use. Further, because of the constant exposure to the elements, above ground lighting fixtures are generally required to be made of expensive, high quality materials, such as non-corrosive metal alloys, in order to provide durability and a reasonable resistance to damage so as not to appear cheap and unkempt.
As an alternative to the above-ground placement of landscape lighting fixtures, recessed, in-ground lighting fixtures, also known as “well lights”, have gained widespread acceptance. In certain applications, the use of below-ground landscape lighting is preferable over above-ground varieties, especially in areas surrounding walkways where an above-ground element could pose a tripping hazard or in lawn areas where the use of a lawn mower presents a risk of damage to the fixture. One such in-ground lighting fixture is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,407 of Beadle, which is incorporated herein by reference. Underwater lighting fixtures are similar to in-ground lighting fixtures with the added requirement that they must be waterproof. Most in-ground light fixtures are not waterproof but are sufficiently water resistant that they may still be placed in wet ground, but not designed to be immersed under water.
A problem experienced with below-ground light fixtures as well as underwater light fixtures is the limited ability to control the direction of illumination efficiently and easily due to the limited range of illumination and convenient access to the lamp. It would be an advantage to have an apparatus in which the lamp is easily accessible to the user for adjustment of beam quality, color and angle.
Some existing lighting fixtures are designed to be placed in the ground with their faces parallel with the ground. Some underwater lighting fixtures are designed to be placed just below the surface of the water while others are placed deeper in the water. Other fixtures have their upper edge cut at an angle, so that the exit window is at shallow angle relative to the surface of the ground or of the water, and one side of the fixture may extend slightly above the surface. The fixture is selected according to the position of the exit face—there is no variability once the fixture is selected, short of digging the hole in the ground at a different, non-vertical angle, which tends to be imprecise.
The need remains for an in-ground, waterproof lighting fixture that provides variability in the position of the lamp to permit adjustment of the beam and more efficient use of the light. The present invention is directed to such a fixture.